Cold
by SilentWolf76
Summary: When a world meeting is held in London, England in winter, Australia didn't realise how cold it would be. He also didn't realise that running around on a frozen river would cause the ice to eventually break. But now he's sick. Summary once again sucks.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't even know why I'm writing this. Well, I might have an idea. I have a current obsession with Australia, so naturally, I like reading stories where the character I'm obsessed with is hurt, sick, injured, and in some cases, dies. Because that's how crazy I am.**

 **So, if you haven't already guessed, this is a story about Australia. Also, the koala is male.**

 **Anyway, on with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia**

* * *

Australia was preparing for the journey to the next world meeting that would happen in three days. The world meeting was in London, England. It took a day or something to get there, so he would have a couple days to settle into the hotel he'd booked.

Once he'd finished packing, Australia slouched on his couch, relaxing for a moment. He still had a couple hours before his flight, so why not relax?

His koala jumped onto his stomach, glaring at him. He wasn't happy with his owner leaving to go to the other side of the world, as England had strictly said _no animals from Australia._ The Aussie found that quite rude, but he had no choice but to obey. So when Australia had told his koala, he wasn't happy about it. One bit.

"Sorry about this, mate." Australia apologized, "I'll be back soon, promise."

Suddenly, his phone rang loudly, scaring the life out of both nation and koala. Reaching over for his phone, Australia sighed as he noticed it was England's number flashing on his screen.

Picking up, Australia held it to his ear and said, "G'day England! What're you calling me for?"

An annoyed sigh came from the other end. "Australia, I'm ringing for two things. One, I'm reminding you _not to bring any animals_. I don't want a miniature, dangerous zoo bursting into the meeting room, got it?"

Australia put on his best hurt voice and replied, "Don't you trust me enough to remember something? I'm so offended!" To add effect, he started sniffling as if he were about to cry.

"Ah-! Don't cry, I trust you, I trust you!" Australia tried his hardest to stifle the laughter that came after that, but it was too much.

Of course, after hearing Australia start laughing, the Brit knew it was a joke. "Fake-crying? Really, Australia? At your age? You should be more mature."

Australia's laughing subsided as he felt actually offended. "Oi! I'm mature!"

"Don't you 'oi' me, young man!"

"I'm taller than you!"

"That's irrelevant!" With another irritated sigh, the Brit pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm not getting drawn into an argument with you."

"Fine." Australia sighed, disappointed he couldn't draw his former caretaker into an argument. It was always funny to hear or see how flustered England got. "So, what was that other thing you wanted to tell me?"

The line was silent for a moment, and Australia immediately knew why.

Smirking, he asked, "Did'ya forget again?"

"No! I didn't forget!" Came the defensive response. "And what do you mean 'again'?"

"Oh come on, old man, you _always_ forget things! Or have you forgot that, too?"

"I don't _always_ forget things!" England snapped. "And don't call me 'old man'!"

"Than what was it? Hurry up, my flight's in a couple hours and I've gotta say bye to all my friends." Australia tapped his chin impatiently.

"Friends? Don't tell me you treat those killer creatures as your _friends_?" England sounded incredulous.

"Of course! Look, I'll let my favourite koala say hi!" Australia brought the phone down to his koala, letting him 'speak' to England.

All England heard was an angry barrage of snarls, hisses and growls from the other end before Australia's voice came back on. "Anyway, you're getting off topic here."

" _I'm_ getting off topic?" England muttered under his breath, before stating bluntly, "I can't remember; I'll tell you when I do. I'm hanging up now."

After he heard a beep at the other end, Australia put his phone down and sighed heavily. "Typical England; can't remember."

His koala growled softly at him, and Australia nodded, actually understanding what the creature said.

Standing up, Australia stretched and mumbled, "Might as well go for a quick walk before I head to the airport."

* * *

~Big time-skip~

Finally getting off the plane, the first thing Australia had done was check in at his hotel. It wasn't that far from the airport, so he walked.

There was a problem, though.

It was _freezing_ in London.

Then again, it didn't help that he was in a t-shirt and shorts.

He was supposed to be meeting New Zealand at the hotel, as they'd decided to share a room (mostly so the Kiwi could keep an eye on Australia).

Turning a corner, Australia was surprised to find the hotel there already, and a figure at the entrance.

Quickening his pace, the Aussie met up with New Zealand, waving at him to get his attention.

New Zealand stared at his neighbour, who was in a t-shirt and shorts. Pointing, New Zealand asked, "Aren't you cold?"

Australia shrugged, acting as if it didn't matter, even though he felt like an ice block. "Meh. A bit."

New Zealand blinked, knowing Australia was lying and was freezing his butt off. "Didn't England tell you?"

Australia frowned. "Tell me what?"

The Kiwi sighed. Obviously not. "That it was winter in his country, and it's absolutely freezing here, so pack _warm_ clothes."

"No, he didn't." Australia growled, before snapping his fingers as realisation dawned upon him. "That's probably the second thing he wanted to tell me! I bet he forgot on purpose!"

"Well, let's go to our room and you change into warmer clothes."

"I didn't bring any."

"What." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"Er…let's go check in, yeah?"

"Fine." New Zealand muttered, walking into the hotel. "Hurry in; you'll catch your death out here."

"Right…" Australia trailed off, slightly confused. How can he catch his death in some cold weather?

After climbing two flights of stairs and walking down an extremely long corridor, the Oceanian nations walked in, throwing their bags on the ground. They tiredly checked out the room.

There was a thin corridor that lasted about five metres, with a door on the right and a mirror and wardrobe on the left. They went through the door on the right, showing a bathroom with a bath and shower on the far wall. On the left there was a bin, and on the right there was a toilet, sink, shelf and a long mirror.

Exiting the bathroom, they looked at the main room. Just past the wardrobe, there was a TV screwed onto the wall, and underneath that there was a polished, dark oak desk with two chairs and a small bin. On the desk were leaflets advertising various places and a menu for the restaurant just across from the hotel. Also, there was a tray with clean mugs, a kettle and some tea bags and sugars.

The space just past the desk was a corner and was empty - probably for baggage, although they'd placed their bags next to the 'front' door.

To the right of the empty corner was a windowsill, with a closed double window and light curtains. And to the right of the window was a single bed, with two pillows and a duvet. There was a bedside table next to the bed. The headboard was against a corner, with the foot of the bed just underneath the window.

There was about half a metre between the bedside table and another bedside table, this one next to a large, double bed. There were separate lights around the double bed, and on the other side of the bed was yet another bedside table. After the last bedside table was a wall that went parallel to the wall with the window, then turning a sharp left to become the wall with the bathroom door.

Quite impressed with the quality of the room but too tired to admire it any longer, they headed to their separate beds (New Zealand had won a coin toss and got the double bed) and immediately flopping down onto them.

They were both exhausted from their long flights (New Zealand took one a couple hours earlier than Australia's), so all they wanted to do was sleep.

Unfortunately, they weren't so lucky.

"Ah, you boys are here at last." A heavily accented voice broke the comfortable silence between the pair as England strode in.

"What do you want?" Australia mumbled sleepily.

"I came to tell you that it's going to be very cold on the day of the meeting, so wrap up warm, alright?"

"Don't you have heating?"

"Of course I have heating!" England snapped defensively. "I'm just warning you is all."

After he left, New Zealand snickered and said, "You're so gonna freeze here."

"Shut up!" Australia glared at him, but smiled at the same time. Stretching, he settled down and soon fell asleep.

The Kiwi rolled his eyes at his neighbour's abrupt sleep. He wanted to lend Australia some of his clothes, but they wouldn't fit.

Suddenly, a rustling sound coming from near the door startled New Zealand. Glancing over, he watched as Australia's suitcase started walking around. He had to blink a few times to actually process what was happening, though.

Curiously, he walked over to the suitcase and opened it. He had to duck his head as immediately after it was opened, a koala leapt out. _Of course,_ New Zealand thought while face-palming, _I knew he'd bring at least one of his animals with him._

The koala jumped onto the Aussie's bed and curled up beside him, soon falling asleep as well. New Zealand sighed, before laying in his bed.

 _Tomorrow I want to explore London. I think it would be best if Australia stayed inside._ His eyes closed as he fell asleep.

* * *

~Next day~

Australia was first to wake up. Well, he _thought_ he was the first. No, he was actually second. Because as soon as he opened his eyes, his favourite koala's red eyes stared at him.

Letting out a muffled scream as the koala's chest fur was suffocating him, he bolted up in bed, catching the koala as he slipped from the Aussie's face.

"How'd you get out?" Australia asked while scratching his furry cheek.

The koala pointed a claw at New Zealand, who was just stirring. The Aussie smirked.

"I'm surprised he didn't stuff you back in the suitcase or kill me." He remarked with a chuckle.

"I figured you'd bring an animal, so I don't really mind." New Zealand replied, getting out of bed and walking over. "Anyway, as soon as he got out, he ran over to you and fell asleep. He wasn't causing any problems. Just make sure you don't take him to the meeting."

After nodding, the Aussie went to go get changed into another t-shirt and another pair of shorts, before picking up his koala and setting him on his shoulder.

"I'm ready to go now." He declared. New Zealand looked over while pulling a shirt on.

"No, you're not going anywhere. You'll freeze to death. Stay here. I'll bring you a souvenir."

"I wanna go and you're not stopping me. Anyway, I've always wanted to climb Big Ben."

New Zealand sighed and turned away, grabbing his shoes. "You're not allowed to climb Big Ben; you'll get arrested - hey!" When he turned back round, the Aussie was gone.

"Great; now I've got to look for that idiot." He grumbled, before finishing getting ready and leaving.

* * *

Walking through the streets of London, Australia couldn't supress his shivers. It was _freezing_ outside. Then again, he'd never experienced as much cold as this before, so he wanted to explore it. _How cold can it get out here?_ He thought to himself, absentmindedly petting his koala's head, who was shivering on his shoulder, despite his grey fur.

Suddenly, a cold wind started up, and his friend scurried into the front of his shirt, sinking his claws into Australia's chest as he tried to absorb the warmth between the shirt and his owner's chest.

Australia wished he could do that.

Walking near the River Thames, he noticed it was completely frozen over. An idea sprang into his head as he started to run towards the river, stumbling a couple times on the snowy mounds dotting the path.

New Zealand watched his tanned neighbour run onto the frozen Thames, skidding round and laughing loudly.

Shaking his head, he walked towards Australia, albeit smiling.

"Hey, idiot!" He called. Australia swiftly turned to face the Kiwi, grinning.

"What, you talking to me?" He asked jokingly.

"Well noooo, the other idiot in summer clothes running round on a frozen river." New Zealand replied sarcastically.

Walking towards the Kiwi, Australia laughed. "Alright, alright, fine. What's up?"

"Running on ice is bad enough, but the way you're doing it, you're going to break the ice. Then you'll get sick. It's not a good idea to run around on it anymore."

Australia shook his head and put a hand down his shirt, grabbing his koala and pulling him out. Then he held him out to New Zealand, who gingerly took him.

"May I ask why I'm now holding your koala?" He asked, glancing down at the creature in question.

"So if I _do_ fall in, he doesn't freeze to death. Duh." Australia then turned and began running round on the ice again.

"Should I stop him?" New Zealand wondered aloud. The koala crawled inside of his shirt, snorting at him, and the Kiwi presumed that meant 'no'. Or 'yes'. He had no clue.

A loud _splash_ interrupted his thoughts, and he quickly scanned the frozen river.

A large hole.

No Australia.

Sighing, New Zealand ran out onto the river, heading towards the hole. "That idiot! I told him it was a bad idea to run round!"

Kneeling down, New Zealand stared into the murky depths of the river, searching for his brother. It looked about 11 metres deep, so he could drown. Hopefully that wasn't the case, though.

"Hey! Australia! Can you hear me?" He shouted into the water, reaching a hand in. The cold water's icy touch bit his skin, and he felt the urge to retract his hand, but he ignored it and kept searching for Australia.

Just as the cold in his arm became unbearable, he felt something brush his hand. Grabbing onto it with a numb arm, he began to tug it out the water.

It was crazy heavy though, which was a sign that it must be Australia and not some random person's long-lost underwear.

After lots of curses, tugs and yelling, New Zealand finally pulled Australia out the water. As soon as he was out the water, the Aussie began coughing and hacking, desperate to get all the water out of his lungs. New Zealand rubbed circles on his back as Australia coughed.

At last, the coughing died down and Australia sat back on the ice, shivering and panting.

New Zealand wanted to say 'I told you so', but it would be best not to, so instead he said, "Come on, let's get you back to the hotel. I'll tell England what happened; just in case you get really ill or something." He stood up and started to help Australia up.

Then he heard a loud sigh from behind him. "Okay, what happened _now_?"

Speak of the devil.

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter went on really long, sorry about that.**

 **There'll only be a few chapters in this; it won't be long.**

 **Hopefully, I can write this entire story today, but I'm not sure.**

 **Sorry if the description of the hotel room bored you; I got the inspiration for the room from a very real one at a Premier Inn in Northumberland that I stayed at a couple months ago.**

 **Anyway, I guess I'll see you in the next chapter (maybe).**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Back again with another chapter!**

 **I don't have a lot to say, except I'm sorry if the characters are OOC. Knowing me, they probably are.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia**

* * *

England strode up to them, in a long coat, gloves, scarf and hat. He also had long trousers and comfortable shoes. He raised an eyebrow at the large hole in the ice, and the shivering Aussie.

Realisation dawned on him. "Ah," he nodded his head, "he fell in? And in nothing but shorts and a t-shirt?"

New Zealand sighed. "Yeah. I tried to warn him, but…" he trailed off, glancing at his cold brother.

"How long was he in there?"

"A few minutes, I think."

England nodded. "Right. I don't think he has Hypothermia, but he'll definitely get a cold. I'll get a taxi for you to the hotel."

New Zealand thanked him and helped his shivering neighbour off the icy floor, and they started walking towards the snowy bank.

Australia mumbled something inaudible suddenly, and sneezed.

New Zealand frowned at him and asked, "What'd you say? I can't hear you."

Australia repeated a bit louder, "S'cold."

 _He's cold? Well, I'm not surprised. If I'm cold, he must be absolutely frozen. There's no way he can go to the meeting tomorrow._

Just as they started walking up the bank to the awaiting taxi, Australia fell asleep, his body going limp and almost making them both fall down the bank. England walked over and helped his former colony drag the unconscious Aussie to the taxi.

* * *

~At the hotel~

Dragging a sleeping Aussie up a riverbank was one thing, but dragging him up _stairs_ was a different story.

But finally, they managed to get Australia up the stairs. As soon as they cleared the final step, Australia woke up.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me." New Zealand muttered angrily. _Why did he have to wake up_ after _we'd finally dragged his ass upstairs?!_ "You can be _seriously_ annoying sometimes, you know that, right?"

"S'cold." He mumbled.

"Is that all you can say?!"

Australia locked eyes with the Kiwi, before smiling weakly and repeating, "S'cold."

"I'll drop you." New Zealand threatened.

"Is this really the time to do this?" England asked with a sigh.

"Stay out of this, old man!" Both New Zealand and Australia yelled angrily, causing Australia to start coughing again.

England growled. "Don't call me an old man!"

Australia raised an eyebrow, his coughing subsiding. "You're like, sixty-five million years old, though."

A tick mark appeared on England's face. "I'm not a dinosaur!"

"You're a T-Rex." New Zealand remarked. He just couldn't help it.

England glared at him. "And _why_ am _I_ a _T-Rex_?" He forced out, restraining himself from attacking.

"Because-" The Kiwi was cut off by Australia laughing. New Zealand raised an eyebrow. " What's so funny?"

Australia stopped laughing and replied with a huge smile, "Imagine a small, green T-Rex with shaggy, blond hair and emerald eyes. Next, imagine it with a top hat and a cane, sitting in an armchair by a fireplace drinking a cup of tea with its tiny arms."

New Zealand pictured it in his mind and burst out laughing. Now every time he looked at England, he would see that image.

England spluttered, face red as he too, imagined what Australia had described, but tried not to laugh and defend himself. "I don't use a cane nowadays! And my hair's not shaggy, just…naturally wavy."

Now they were all imagining the same T-Rex, just with long, wavy hair like France's on its head.

They all started laughing after that. Well, until Australia started coughing again. Then they remembered why they were stood in a hotel corridor.

"Come on then, Brontosaurus." England said, continuing to walk down the corridor. When he noticed no-one was following, he turned round and was met with horrified and disgusted looks. "What?"

"Brontosaurus? I'm offended." Australia said in a hurt voice.

"How are you 'offended'?"

"I'm not a herbivore! Sure, they're big, but I prefer to be a Spinosaurus! They're bigger than a T-Rex for starters, and I'm bigger than you, so-"

England cut him off. "You're meant to be ill! We can talk about dinosaurs later!" He started walking again. "God, how can you get so distracted by small things like that? Honestly."

"You got involved as well." New Zealand mumbled under his breath, but continued supporting Australia with walking down the hotel corridor.

With an almighty sneeze, Australia tripped over his own feet, falling to the floor and sending his brother with him.

England sighed in annoyance as the pair fell over and struggled to get back up. Mainly because Australia was sprawled on top of the Kiwi and didn't have the energy to get off him. The Brit realised he had no choice but to help the two little idiots up. _This short little trip from taxi to hotel room is taking a lot longer than I initially thought,_ he thought as he walked back to the pair.

Eventually, the three nations managed to get to the hotel room, and stepped inside. Immediately, England wrinkled his nose slightly. "This place is a mess. Don't you clean up after yourselves?"

"This isn't the time for that, old man!" New Zealand snapped, slightly flustered as he _did_ usually clean up, but with Australia running out, he didn't have chance.

"Don't call me old man!" England growled angrily.

"PTCHOO!"

"What's that supposed to mean?! Oh wait, that was a sneeze." England corrected himself. "You must be freezing in that getup; I'll go get you something warmer."

"Mmhmm." Australia replied, too tired to form proper words.

While England searched through his suitcase, New Zealand set his brother down on the bed.

"Can you get your clothes off?" The Kiwi asked, but he got no reply. "Australia?" He shook the Aussie's shoulder lightly. Nothing. "England! I think he's dead!" New Zealand shouted, panicking.

The room fell silent.

Until a loud snore shattered the silence and terrified the other two nations.

England chuckled lightly. "I think you'll find he's asleep my lad."

"Shut up." He grumbled. "And I'm not 'your lad'."

Walking over, the Brit patted New Zealand on the head before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"All he brought was the same sort of thing he's wearing now. That and eucalyptus leaves." England glanced at the Kiwi, a knowing look in his eyes.

"Er…this isn't the time to talk. We'll just have to wrap him up in spare quilts and any blankets we can find." He reasoned, beginning to remove Australia's damp shirt. As he removed the wet item of clothing, he suddenly remembered a certain koala, who was still inside of his shirt. He was surprised the poor thing wasn't crushed when he and Australia fell over in the corridor. He was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn't notice something strange on his neighbour's chest, but Australia's arm now covered it.

A small smile graced England's features before he began peeling the Aussie's shorts off. When that was done, he started to dress his former colony is the biggest cloths he could find in Australia's suitcase and pulled the blanket over his former colony's body.

He frowned as the shivering didn't stop. Concerned, England removed one of his gloves and placed his hand on Australia's forehead. It was hot to the touch. Sighing, the Brit realised he had a fever.

Getting up, he walked over to the bathroom and grabbed a couple of small hand towels. _These'll have to do,_ he thought, as he soaked one of them in cold water, before squeezing it and quick-walking back to the bed.

Gently placing the makeshift compress on Australia's forehead, the Brit ran a hand through his wild hair.

"New Zealand, I'm going to go buy some cold tablets; take care of him until I get back." With that, England left the room, without waiting for a response.

Hearing a groan, the Kiwi turned his attention to the sick Aussie, whose brows were slightly creased. New Zealand stroked his brother's hair, murmuring, "Idiot" quietly.

"You never listen to me, do you? Now look at you. You've got a cold." He continued, but not in a harsh tone. He didn't feel any anger or satisfaction towards Australia getting ill. He only felt worry and sadness at the whole thing.

"I hope you'll be a bit better tomorrow." He froze as he remembered what was happening tomorrow. _The meeting._ He thought with dread. _What's going to happen?_

Shaking his head, New Zealand shifted slightly to get comfy. He may very well be here a while.

Another groan came from the bed as Australia slowly cracked one eye open. His head hurt like hell and his throat felt dry and scratchy.

When his other eye was open, he noticed New Zealand sat next to him. A sudden cough escaped his mouth, making him wince as it hurt his throat.

"…Wa…ter…" He croaked, eyes locking with New Zealand's.

The Kiwi stood up and walked into the bathroom, looking for a glass to fill with water.

When he filled a glass he found, he re-entered the main room. He nearly dropped the glass in surprise.

Australia was trying to climb out the window.

Quickly setting the glass down on the bedside table, New Zealand hurried over and grabbed the Aussie's arm.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He demanded.

Australia frowned at him, before coughing twice into his hand. "I'm going…for some…fresh air." He replied weakly.

"Are you delirious or something?! That's a _window_. You'll end up in hospital if you jump out a window."

"But…my head…hurts." He whined, and New Zealand tightened his grip on his brother's arm as his eyelids started to droop. "Fresh air…makes it…better-" he was cut off as he fell forward, falling asleep on the spot. New Zealand leapt forward to catch him before he either fell out the window or on the floor.

Dragging the sleeping Aussie to the bed, England walked in, carrying a bag. At seeing the scene in front of him, he blinked twice, expressionless.

All he did was watch the pair as New Zealand struggled to haul Australia back on the bed. When he'd finally accomplished this, England decided to make his presence known.

"Now what was _that_ all about?" He asked, making New Zealand jump.

The Kiwi sighed, glaring at Australia, who was now panting with a flushed face. "This idiot thought that jumping out a window would make his head hurt less because of the 'fresh air'. Now he's probably made himself worse."

"Good I have these tablets then. And medicine – just in case he doesn't want to take tablets." The Brit walked over, placing the bag on the bedside table next to the untouched glass of water.

"He's going to try and come to tomorrow's meeting." New Zealand murmured.

"I know."

He turned to face his former caretaker. "What are we gonna do?"

England ignored the slang and thought deeply before answering. "Since I'm the host country, it's essential for me to be there. And there has to be at least one representative from each continent, so you have to go as well…so honestly, I'm not sure. I could ask someone to take care of him; no, no-one would want to miss the meeting. Even if it's utter chaos, it's fun to be there." His eyebrows wrinkled in thought.

"What about America? He's mates with Australia." New Zealand suggested.

"Hell no!"

"Why not?"

"If you leave those two alone in a room together while one's sick, they'll definitely kill the sick one. It's common knowledge." He explained.

"Fair enough."

Silence.

"What about Fran-"

"No."

"Hmm…Canada?"

England seemed to consider the thought. "Actually, he might work. America can always fill him in on what happened in the meeting, I suppose. Alright; I'll ask Canada tomorrow."

New Zealand cocked his head to one side. "Why not today? It's only early afternoon."

"Because he'll rush over. He's kind and caring; he won't hesitate to pull an all-nighter to take care of Australia – even on our watch. Don't worry; I'll make sure to ask him early tomorrow morning."

The Kiwi nodded, satisfied someone would take care of his sick brother while he was gone. For now, he could take care of Australia himself.

* * *

~Next day~

True to his word, England rang Canada as soon as he'd woken up, explaining briefly what had happened and asking the Canadian to take care of Australia. Canada had accepted and said he was on his way.

Hanging up, England unlocked the door for the Canadian and prepared himself for the day ahead. He woke the still sleeping New Zealand as well. There was a double and a single bed in the room; Australia in the single and the other two nations sharing the double.

Because they were sharing, all he had to do was stretch his arm out and gently shake the other's shoulder.

As England was getting dressed, there was a knock at the door.

Just as the Englishman said, "It's open," the Australian sneezed loudly.

Canada quietly opened and closed the door, before walking into the main room. He saw England pulling a coat on, New Zealand putting a pair of shoes on, and Australia shivering under three or four duvets.

A look of sympathy crossed his features at the sight of the ill Australian. Since he was from a fairly cold country, he was often immune to little colds, but he did sometimes get them. But Australia was a hot country, so suddenly being put in a freezing environment such as a cold winter in England would probably have caused some colds. He frowned in concern; would any other nations get colds?

Noticing the look of sympathy and concern on Canada's face, England placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's his fault as well. He only packed shorts and t-shirts. Mine and New Zealand's clothes don't fit him because he's too tall. It would just be uncomfortable and tight, so we decided to put him in the biggest clothes he brought and tucked him in a few duvets." He explained.

Canada nodded. "Right. Any tips?"

England looked thoughtful for a minute before replying. "Frequently change the towels on his head. If he wakes up, get him to drink as much as possible and maybe even eat a little. He must be starving. Keep him warm and make sure he takes either tablets or medicine." He rubbed his neck sheepishly as he realised how long the list was. "That's all I can think of. He's quite high maintenance at times."

The Canadian smiled softly. "I can tell." He then turned to New Zealand. "I'll take care of your brother; don't worry, he'll be fine. And after the meeting, you'll come straight here. Is that right?"

New Zealand nodded mutely, picking up his coat and slipping it on.

England was about to walk out the door when he said over his shoulder, "Keep the windows locked." With that, he walked out, shutting the door behind him.

"'Keep the windows locked'?" Canada echoed in confusion. "I wonder why." However, he stood up and walked over to the window, locking it and putting the key on the bedside table.

He pulled up one of the chairs and sat in it, looking down at the Australian shivering in the bed.

* * *

~At the World Meeting Room~

Everything was as it usually was at the meeting. New Zealand wasn't surprised in the slightest. But he completely ignored the other nations, lost in thought. He blamed himself for his brother falling ill. If he hadn't turned away to put his shoes on, then Australia wouldn't have been able to run away.

He mentally chastised himself for thinking like this. It wasn't going to help Australia, now was it? But he couldn't do anything at the moment. At the moment, he was in a meeting, and he had to pay attention to it. He trusted Canada to take care of his brother.

Glancing up, New Zealand realised that the meeting had started, and Germany had managed to temporarily calm everyone down.

A sudden _crash_ made the Kiwi jump. Snapping his head to the source of the noise, his eyes widened in shock and dread as he saw none other than Australia, stood in the doorway, panting heavily and struggling to keep his eyes open. He was leaning on the doorway, but straightened up and started staggering to an empty seat next to New Zealand.

Luckily, New Zealand wasn't too far from the doorway, so he didn't have far to go.

Suddenly, Canada ran in, slightly out of breath as he scanned the room, soon finding Australia.

He walked towards the Oceanian nation, mouth open to scold him for whatever happened, but America interrupted him.

Walking up to Australia, he slapped his back in greeting as they usually did, which made the Australian nearly fall over, and said, "Hey dude, you finally made it! I was starting to think you wouldn't show up!"

"Heh…wouldn't miss…a chance…to see…ya…" He forced out between pants with a weak smile.

America frowned. "Hey, you okay? You look…ill."

Australia shook his head, immediately regretting it as his headache spiked, making him clutch the sides of his head in pain. Gritting his teeth, he growled in a low voice, "M'fine."

"No you're not!" Canada butted in, grabbing Australia's shoulder gently but firmly. "You shouldn't be moving around so much! You'll only get worse. Come on, we're going back to the hotel room."

"N-no." He stubbornly refused, though his teeth began chattering.

"Whoa dude, you're shivering!" America commented. "You're totally sick!" Australia glared at him, shrugged off Canada's hand and began walking towards the seat again.

But he didn't get very far.

His vision began darkening round the edges and blurring. His head felt like it was going to explode. His throat felt like he'd swallowed a cactus or something. The cold was unbearable.

He couldn't hear anything around him anymore. He didn't realise he was falling. All he could see was darkness taking over his vision, and he had no choice but to welcome it as he lost consciousness.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm ending this chapter here. Sorry it's so long!**

 **The next chapter's probably the last.**

 **Bye~**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello again! Do you get the feeling sometimes where you have to say something really important but you can't think on what it is?**

 **Well, I've got that right now.**

 **And since I can't think of it, I'm not going to even try remembering. It'll come back to me later.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia**

America's eyes flew wide and his mouth dropped open as Australia collapsed onto the floor. New Zealand was next to him in a split-second, and England walked over as well. Canada knelt down beside the downed nation, and many other nations gathered around to see what was going on.

"Hey…wh-what's wrong with him?" America asked, stuttering slightly. It's not every day your friend runs into a meeting looking like hell, only to collapse a couple minutes later.

"He's sick!" New Zealand snapped, angry that Australia had escaped his bed and gone outside, even though he was ill and knew it himself.

"Sick? Why?" America asked.

Canada glanced at his brother. "He fell into the river. His choice of clothing didn't help him, either. He was sleeping, so I went to the bathroom. When I came out, he was gone." The Canadian told New Zealand and England.

England shook his head and sighed. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it. Let's just get him back to the hotel room. Canada, can you help carry him?"

"Sure." Canada replied softly, standing up.

"I'll help!" America piped up.

"No." England rejected sternly.

"Why not?"

"You'll make it worse."

America pouted. "Meanie!" Then he brightened up. "Anyway, I'm strong, so I can _easily_ carry him on my own! No offense and all bro, but Canada's a weakling."

"Hey!" Canada shouted, although his voice came out as little over a whisper. "I'm still coming, but I have to agree with America here."

"Fine!" England gave in, but pointed a threatening finger at the American. "But don't start being rough with him."

"When have _I_ ever been _rough_?"

The Brit raised an eyebrow. "You slapped his back as a way of greeting him."

"Will you quit arguing and just help me out here!" New Zealand snapped. The usually calm sheep-loving nation was mad. He was mad at Australia for sneaking out when he was ill. He was mad at Canada for not realising what the Australian was up to. He was mad at England and America for arguing in a situation like this.

New Zealand's hands unconsciously trailed down Australia's chest, but when they brushed over the centre of his chest, he winced and jerked away from the touch. Frowning, the Kiwi pushed two fingers down on the same area, and earned a small yelp from Australia.

"Something's not right…" He murmured under his breath. There was something on his chest. Luckily, Australia's shirt was a button-up, so he undid the first four buttons and pulled the shirt apart.

He gasped at the sight.

Stretching across Australia's chest was a gaping gash. It was at least 8 inches (about 20cm), and jagged, and started from the top left, diagonally down to the bottom right. But that wasn't the worst part.

The worst part was that the skin was an angry red, and the wound was filled with yellowy pus. New Zealand instantly knew what it was.

"Infection…" He whispered, grimacing at the sight. _He must have got it from when he fell in the river. When the ice cracked, some of it must have caught his chest while he was falling. But then the shirt would be ripped. How did I not notice it?_

But then the Kiwi nation remembered when he'd first rescued Australia from the icy clutches of the Thames. His shirt had been sticking to him, but the item of clothing had already been a scarlet colour, so naturally if there had been any blood, then it would be easily lost amongst the redness of the shirt.

 _And not only did ice-cold water enter the open wound, but the river isn't exactly the cleanest one, so all the dirty water got in. How could I not notice it?!_ He asked himself again, although this time more angrily.

After further inspection, New Zealand came to the conclusion that the wound was indeed infected and also needed stitches. _It should have been treated within 8 hours, but instead it's just got worse. Because of my obliviousness. Dammit, I took his shirt off, how am I this blind?!_

Taking a deep breath through his nose, the Kiwi buttoned Australia's shirt back up. He'd realised that England and America were still bickering, not arguing about 'America's ridiculous intake of burgers' or something.

Standing up, New Zealand raised his voice to a volume that was just a bit quieter than Germany's, and yelled, "SHUT UP!"

The entire meeting room fell silent, most nations staring in amazement at the loudness of the normally quiet Kiwi.

New Zealand waved his hand in Australia's direction. "Australia's really sick and you're standing around bickering!" He took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. Now he knew how Germany felt when the meeting fell into total chaos. "Listen. He's got an infected cut that needs stitches. And a cold on top of that."

England's caterpillars (*cough cough* eyebrows *cough cough*) rose up his forehead at this news. "He needs stitches? This is bad."

"You don't think I know that?" New Zealand replied coldly, before sighing. "I-I don't know what to do. Should we call an ambulance? Or just go to the nearest A&E?"

England hummed thoughtfully. "Well, unless we can _carry_ him to the hospital, I suggest we call an ambulance. After all, he's not even conscious."

"What's that gotta do with anything?" America asked, frowning at the last sentence.

England's eyebrow twitched. "It's 'got to', not 'gotta'. Stop butchering my language." Then he cleared his throat, and continued, "And since he's unconscious, it'll be dead weight and it will also be hard to carry him."

New Zealand pulled out his phone and dialled 999 ***,** calling for an ambulance and gave the location.

Now all they had to was wait for it to come. And that was no easy task, as the nations weren't all known for their patience.

Luckily, the ambulance only took fifteen minutes to arrive (blame the ice on the roads), and Australia was soon loaded up.

One of the paramedics glanced at the four nations who stood expectantly in front of her.

"Er…what can I do for you?" She asked cautiously.

"Well, for starters-" England began but was cut off by America.

"Dude! You have _got_ to let me ride the Screaming Vroom-Vroom!" He was about five inches away from the paramedic's face, with stars in his eyes, as if the ambulance was an exciting experience for him.

Canada sighed. "America, it's not for you."

"And," England yanked America away from the paramedic by the back of his jacket collar, "what is a 'Screaming Vroom-Vroom'?"

America pointed at the ambulance with an expression that made it seem like it was the simplest thing in the world to work out. "Duh. It's the 'am-bu-lance'. It's such a pain to say it, and it sounds so uncool, you know? But 'Screaming Vroom-Vroom' sounds awesome!"

Canada asked softly, "But that name makes it sound like it's going to kill you."

America frowned. "No way, dude. It sounds awesome." He made a 'hmph' noise and turned away from the Canadian, muttering something under his breath.

"America, tell me why you chose _that_ name to refer to an _ambulance_." England demanded.

"Okay, so, the 'screaming' part of it is because of the sirens, you know? They go like 'NEE-NAW, NEE-NAW, NEE-"

"Alright, alright, we get it! Stop screaming!"

"Fine. And the 'Vroom-Vroom' part is something you call a racing car, and ambulances go so freaking fast, you know?" The American puffed out his chest. "So there you go. I have a gift for naming things."

"Sure. Right, we better get going." England turned to the ambulance – or rather, where the ambulance _used_ to be.

Turns out, while America was explaining, New Zealand had found out that they could only allow one of the nations on, so the Kiwi had decided he would be that one person. Then the ambulance had driven away, with none of the remaining three realising.

Grumbling, England went to his car and got in the driver's seat, beckoning for Canada and America to get in. The American went for the passenger side, but England frantically shooed him off.

"No way are you getting in the passenger seat of my car! Get in the back!" The Brit ordered.

"That's _so_ unfair! And what about Canada?" America whined.

"Canada can go in the front."

"What?! Dude, that's _so_ unfair!"

"Life is unfair. Suck it up and _get in the back_."

America got in the back, and Canada climbed into the front.

~At the hospital~

New Zealand sat impatiently in the waiting room, tapping his foot. As soon as they'd arrived, Australia was wheeled off, and the Kiwi was told to wait in the waiting room. And it was _boring_.

But his boredom was cured when England, America and Canada walked in. England looked like he was going to kill someone, America looked like he wanted to laugh but was too scared to, and Canada was just…there.

New Zealand raised an eyebrow at the trio. "Took you long enough. You know we arrived about half an hour ago, right?"

England growled deep in his throat and America shrank back a bit. Canada went to sit next to New Zealand, but the other two didn't make a move to sit down yet.

"Well, I was driving on a road near the Thames, and for some reason, a squirrel jumped across the road. Shouldn't they be hibernating or something? Anyway, America here decided that he was going to imitate someone from a movie."

"Oh? And who was that?"

"This dog called 'Dug' from the movie 'Up'. He yelled 'SQUIRREL' at the top of his voice, leapt forward, grabbed the driver's wheel and swerved away from the squirrel. We were heading straight for the river, until I was able to get control of my car and slam the brakes on. But the front of my car collided with a random lamppost, and the engine's now bust. So we had to walk the rest of the way."

"And it was _freezing_. Seriously, can't you get Air Heaters or something?" America commented.

"'Air Heaters'? You know what, I don't want to get drawn into another stupid conversation with you." England went to sit down on the other side of New Zealand, and America sat down in the chair next to Canada.

The next hour was spent in silence, except for a few small conversations that popped up every now and again.

Suddenly, New Zealand turned to England. "Can I ask you something?"

England glanced at him. "What?"

New Zealand turned his head back to face the wall opposite, but not really _looking_ at it. "That wound on Australia's chest should have at least _started_ healing, but it didn't look like that at all. Why's that?"

England sighed and copied the Kiwi, not really looking at the wall either. "If the body is still recovering from internal damage, then any external damage received will heal slower than normal. Colds and other illnesses class as internal damage as the body is weaker. Therefore, the flesh wound on Australia' chest will heal slower because of his cold."

New Zealand was silent for a minute, before whistling and remarking, "Wow. I didn't think you could say something so smart."

England spluttered. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

New Zealand smirked. "You don't really see like the 'smart' type."

England pointed at America. "Well if I'm not smart, then he must be a bloody brick wall!"

"Hey! Don't drag me into your argument!" America shot at the Brit.

"I'm not 'dragging you' into anything. I'm just stating a well-known fact."

"I'm not stupid!"

"You bloody well are!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"You two sound like little kids!" New Zealand butted in.

"You're the youngest here!"

"And the shortest!"

"Hey! Don't bring my height into this!"

"Don't you think you're all being too loud?" Canada asked softly, and was ignored.

"I can bring whatever I want into this argument!"

"Well so can I! You crazy, tea-loving idiot!"

"How am I crazy?!"

"You have imaginary friends." New Zealand stated with a deadpan expression.

America laughed. "Ha! The Sheep got you there!"

"The term is 'Kiwi', not 'Sheep', you twit." New Zealand grumbled.

A nurse walked up to the four nations, interrupting their argument. "Excuse me, are you here to see Mr…Australia…?"

"Yeah, we are." Canada replied, standing up. "Can we see him?"

The nurse nodded. "Sure. He's sleeping at the moment, but he should wake up soon. He doesn't seem to like being under anaesthetic." She chuckled to herself, before beckoning them to follow her.

When they were halfway down the corridor, the nurse turned to the nations. "Excuse me, if you don't mind me asking, why is the patient named 'Australia'. You know, as in the country?"

"Well nooooo, I thought you meant as in the perfume company." New Zealand replied sarcastically. "Australia: Coming to _your_ bedroom."

"Bedroom?!" America stared at the Kiwi, alarmed. "Wh-whaddya mean?"

"Not proper English~" England said in a sing-song voice.

New Zealand smirked. "As in they use a special chemical in the perfume. Ghosts are attracted to it so when you put the perfume on, the scent clings to your skin. Then the ghosts come at night to your bedroom and-"

He was interrupted by Canada, who covered his mouth with his hand. "I think that's enough, eh? It looks like America's about to make a mess on the floor."

Sure enough, America was trembling, eyes wide and it indeed looked like he was going to wet himself and make a mess on the floor.

"Excuse me, but may I ask how this is in any way relevant to my question?" The nurse asked, drawing their attention away from the terrified American.

"It's not." England replied, shooting a glare at the other three. "And in response to your question, he carries a big secret."

The nurse's interest was piqued, as was the other nations'.

"It's one that he's only ever told me about."

The nations frowned. What was he on about?

England took a deep breath.

By this point, everyone had stopped walking and were staring at the Brit.

"He…" England started.

"He…?" Everyone took one step closer.

"…His parents…"

"Huh?" They all took one more step.

"His parents had terrible naming abilities."

Everyone fell over.

"But you were his parent!"

"Yeah! You just admitted to having terrible naming abilities!"

"Wait; you're that man's _parent_? But he's-and you're-and the age- you're so _old_!" The nurse exclaimed.

England spluttered. "Old? Old?! I am _not_ bloody old! I'm in a prime age, if you must know!"

America scoffed. "Prime age my ass."

"Yeah." New Zealand agreed. "You probably hide your wrinkles in make-up."

"I don't _wear_ make-up!"

"Not to mention you dye your hair to hide the grey hairs."

"I do _not_ use hair dye!"

"Don't deny it, gramps."

"I _raised_ you all! Show a little respect!"

"You _raised_ them?! You're _super_ old!" The nurse's eyes widened.

"I take offense at that!"

"Pity…I was starting to like you." The nurse muttered, blushing a bit.

In a split second, America and New Zealand spawned masks out of thin air and put them on, before grabbing the nurse's arms.

"Quick, get her to the basement! She's cursed!"

"Gotcha! This illness is fatal if left untreated!"

"Who's got the chalk?! We need to draw the ritual circle!"

"I've got it- don't worry! We _will_ save this woman!"

"From _what_?!" England yelled angrily.

America and New Zealand looked at him like he was stupid.

"The I-Like-Creepy-Old-Guys-*cough-cough*-England-*cough-cough* Virus. The source of this illness is _you_. Duh." They said in perfect unison.

England clenched his fists. "Why you – I'm going to kill you! New Zealand, you're as bad as Australia!"

New Zealand shrugged, taking off the mask and smirking. "Well, when he's not here, _someone_ has to fill in the space of Oceanian Idiot. Might as well be me."

America laughed. "Yeah, lil' dude can really loosen up at times!" Then he glanced at England. "You know; you could learn from him."

"Like hell I will!"

"Um, guys, shouldn't we be heading to Australia's room?" Canada asked; and actually _wasn't_ ignored.

"Yes, that would be best. After all, we're disturbing other patients." The nurse agreed, before starting to walk down the corridor.

The rest of the journey was spent in silence, until they reached the Australian's room.

New Zealand immediately walked in, followed shortly by the other three.

There, on the bed, sat Australia, leaning awkwardly against the pillow as he smiled at them.

The Kiwi ran over to him and embraced in a hug, careful to avoid his stitches.

The nurse walked in after them, smiling softly. "He had an infected wound requiring stitches and a cold. We've cleaned the wound and stitched it up, but he'll have to take it easy the next few days. And the cold should go by tomorrow or the day after." She informed them.

"I'm just glad you're alright." New Zealand murmured quietly.

"What was that?" Australia asked.

"Nothing." He replied a little too quickly.

"Now you're on the mend, it's Lecture Time." England grinned like a maniac, slowly (and creepily) approaching the bed.

Shrieking like a cat who'd just had its tail stood on, Australia nearly fell out of bed. "AHHH! IT'S THE WALKING DEATH!"

"It's 'The Walking Dead', actually." New Zealand corrected.

Australia looked at him. "That's about zombies, though. The Walking Death it basically Death in human form, walking around killing people with," he shuddered, " _words_."

"Excuse me, I do not _kill_ anyone! Especially not with _words_. How can you even kill someone with words?" England defended.

Australia smirked. "With a Dictionary, of course."

England glared darkly at him. "Right, that's another lecture about 'talking back to your superiors'. Oh, and 'trying – and failing – to be clever'. So two extra lectures."

Australia started crying, and asked, "Does anyone have a pen and paper? I'd like to write my will before it's too late."

"Sorry, I don't. But hey, you could always write it out with your blood." New Zealand suggested.

"How would he use _blood_?" England frowned, both confused and angry.

"Because my ears would bleed."

"Why you-"

"Oh, and I heard your conversation on your way here. It was kind of hard not to, actually." Australia smirked and added, "Old man."

England's face went bright red, but whether it was from anger or embarrassment, no-one could tell.

And so, the rest of the day was spent with England lecturing not only Australia, but New Zealand and America as well, and both the nurse and Canada sitting in chairs, watching in amusement at the scene before their eyes.

New Zealand only partly paid attention to England's lectures (they were boring after all), and thought, _well, after all we've been through, we came out alright. Once Australia's cold goes, the wound will heal quickly, but will probably leave a scar. Also, I'll never let him forget all this._

The Kiwi gazed out the window. _But I can't wait until I get home. I'm sure Australia feels the same, too._

"-And whenever you see a squirrel, do _not,_ I repeat, _do not_ , start screaming and nearly end up killing everyone. Got it? Good. Also, when in serious situations, don't distract anyone with your ridiculous-" England was cut off by New Zealand.

"Hey, Australia?"

"Yeah?"

"Hey! I'm talking here!"

"I'm just gonna tell you this now, okay?"

"What?"

"'Gonna' is not proper English!"

"I'm gonna be monitoring what you pack when we go to world meetings, got it?"

"That's _so_ unfair!"

"You're so like America, it's painful."

"Tough. I'm not being put in another situation like this."

"Ugh, fine. Seriously, you're _so_ unfair at times."

"If America had a twin exactly like him, I think I might just have a heart attack."

Everyone fell silent and looked at England, who had been ignored up until then.

They all looked like they had a master plan, and were grinning like maniacs, their eyes shining evilly.

That was when England realised what he'd said.

"Someone get the cloning machine!"

"Come on, we're leaving!"

"Operation Death by Heart Attack is in progress!"

 _"_ _Don't you dare leave this room Australia!"_ England yelled in a threatening tone.

Australia dramatically laid down on the floor, and said weakly, "Go. Leave me…it's too late…to save…me…" And with that, he 'died'.

America clenched his fist and raised it. "Don't worry, my friend! We _will_ avenge you!"

"Is this _seriously_ what I have to put up with?" England asked himself.

"We will bring down the heartless enemy! Then your spirit can rest in peace!" New Zealand exclaimed.

"Not you too?!"

"Don't forget; if Operation Death by Heart Attack Plan A doesn't work, we have Plan B." America rubbed his hands together evilly.

"Plan B? It appears I have forgotten." New Zealand replied.

"I'm seriously regretting my life choices right now."

"Heh heh. Plan B. Find a Death Note and write the enemy's name in it."

"That's a flawless back-up plan." New Zealand commented.

"It's the wrong show!" England exclaimed.

The nurse laughed at the situation, as did Canada.

"Well, I'd love to stay and watch what happens, but I'm still at work, unfortunately. I'll see you around." She waved goodbye and left.

"I've just called a guy; he's preparing to deliver the cloning machine." America informed.

"There's a guy for that?!" England's jaw nearly hit the floor.

America frowned at him as if he'd said the stupidest thing in the world. "There's a guy for everything. Wait; why am I communicating with the enemy?! It's going to use its foul language to curse me!"

"What foul language are you on about, you git?!"

And so, the night was spent with England arguing with America and New Zealand, who were planning to kill him, Australia who was by now fast asleep on the floor, and Canada, sitting quietly and watching everything with amusement.

 **A/N: THE END!**

 **I know, I know, stupid ending and everything, but oh well.**

 *** = 999 is the number for emergency numbers. I'm British, so I decided to use it, and since they're in England, I might as well use it. There. Two reasons. I win.**

 **I had to make the Death Note reference. I just had to.**

 **I can't think of anything else to say, except MY GOD THIS CHAPTER IS SO FREAKIN LONG!**

 **Bye~**


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